Professor Amanda Baker
Hello again, I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter break. I have recently returned from the American Society of Behavioral Medicine's annual conference, held in San Francisco. As on previous visits, San Francisco proved a great city, with a variety of restaurants, great weather and lots to see and do. The conference runs many sessions and it’s difficult to choose which to attend. I selected a couple of workshops, one on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other problems, including substance use, among veterans and another on behavioural activation treatment of depression. Behavioural activation treatment is nicely suited for clients of alcohol and other drug services as it focuses on building up activity levels, including self-care and basic mastery and pleasurable activities.
A topic featured at the conference and one that I am very interested in is how different health behaviours bundle together, like smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet and inactivity. Dr Pete Kelly and colleagues from the University of Wollongong have been working together with my research group to address smoking, activity and diet among people in residential substance abuse services. We are also investigating the effectiveness of a computer delivered intervention for depression among this group. Together with Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin we are also starting to evaluate online healthy lifestyles modules.
The APSAD Brisbane Conference 24 - 27 November is shaping up nicely, and we have some outstanding national and international speakers lined up. Early registration is opening on the 22 May CLICK HERE if you wish to receive notification when registrations open. A reminder the deadline for Abstracts is on the 3 July. For all the APSAD Conference details visit www.apsadconference.com.au.
|
|
|
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Alprazolam – is it time for rescheduling?
by Dr. Suzanne Nielsen
Many people working in the different facets of drug treatment, harm reduction and justice services will have heard of, or experienced people using alprazolam (brand names include Xanax and Kalma), and in some cases, people experiencing harm. While this benzodiazepine has been available for some time, the use of alprazolam amongst people who inject drugs has increased dramatically, by 6 fold in 6 years. The increase has also been seen in the general population, with a 1426 per cent increase in supply between 1990 and 2010.
What is the research behind the concerns?
There has been a series of recent studies in Australia examining this issue. Angela Rintoul presented findings of her research at APSAD in Melbourne, 2012, finding a strong association between increased supply of alprazolam, and an increased involvement of alprazolam in heroin related deaths. This research was subsequently published in the Medical Journal of Australia, with considerable media interest. This is in addition to previous research, presented by Dr Katy Jones at APSAD in 2011, with a paper in the Australian Family Physician, discussing alprazolam use in the context of crime, serious injury, aggression and violence. Danielle Horyniak also recently reported in her paper, published in Drug and Alcohol Review last June; that compared to other benzodiazepine users, alprazolam users were more likely to inject benzodiazepines, and be on opioid substitution treatment, a potentially dangerous combination for this group. In her study, Ms Horyniak did not find a clear association with more crime being committed with alprazolam compared to other benzodiazepines, though the authors note that this may have been difficult to detect due to a self-report study design, as participants self-reporting was potentially affected by the amnesia known to be associated alprazolam use. Stemming from an apparent disproportionate level of harm associated with alprazolam, a number of submissions were received from those in the drug and alcohol field regarding the rescheduling of alprazolam to the more restrictive ‘schedule 8’. These changes would mean that closer monitoring and more stringent controls around storage would be in place.
Will these changes lead to a reduction in the harms seen by those working in the sector?
Some are concerned that these changes will result in another benzodiazepine replacing alprazolam as the new problem drug. While this is a possibility, it seems that the harm seen with alprazolam suggests that the use of other benzodiazepines may be less problematic. Of course, any changes will require careful monitoring for unintended consequences, including use of other, more harmful substances. Another question frequently raised is will these changes mean that people currently using alprazolam for anxiety be unable to get their medications? The short answer is no, alprazolam can still be prescribed, though there will be more measures in place to monitor supply. In meeting in March it was considered by a TGA committee that alprazolam be rescheduled, however no decision will be announced until late May 2013.
APSAD would like to hear our members thoughts and comments on Alprazolam rescheduling - CLICK HERE to have your say. * Please note that your comments may be published in the upcoming APSAD Newsletter.
Dr Raimondo Bruno - APSAD Tasmanian Representative
Dr Raimondo Bruno is a senior lecturer at the School of Psychology, University of Tasmania. He has been involved in the alcohol and drug sector in Tasmania for the past decade in numerous research and consultancy roles. His main research interests include the cognitive consequences of use of medications and illicit drugs; illicit drug market trends; and approaches to reduce the harms associated with substance use.
Raimondo said he fell into this sector a bit by accident, cutting his teeth implementing the Illicit Drug Reporting System in Hobart in 1999 looking for a way to supplement his income during his (unrelated) PhD studies. Some of the highlights of his job are the opportunity to work with enthusiastic developing research students, as well as teaching topics that students are typically terrified by (like statistics) and helping them to develop confidence in them. He also points out some of the benefits of working in a small university and state is the flexibility to collaborate with frontline workers and researchers from different fields to run practical studies ‘off the side of their desks’, as they have done with their work examining the effectiveness of different filtration methods for pharmaceuticals.
In his spare time Raimondo enjoys wrangling his two small kids; he has a (relatively well controlled) habit for collecting records and runs a funk specialist show on local community radio.
Click here for further information on publications and research projects Dr Raimondo Bruno has been involved with.
|
|
APSAD Member's Corner
|
Congratulations to APSAD member Dr Andrea Gordon Research Fellow at the University of South Australia who has won a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship to head over to the US to continue her work in the area of substance use and pregnancy with Dr Hendree Jones.
Through her scholarship Andrea will further her research into treatment options using methadone and buprenorphine for pregnant women who are dependent on opioids. Click Here to read more
|
 |
APSAD Submission
APSAD recently provided a submission to NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No.2: Inquiry into Drug and Alcohol Treatment
This Inquiry will review the effectiveness of current alcohol and drug policies with respect to deterrence, treatment and rehabilitation with reference to the welfare and health of individuals dependent on illicit drugs and the impact on their families, carers and the community:
The Committee will explore the proposed reforms identified in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Amendment Bill 2012, introduced to the Legislative Council by Reverend The Hon. Fred Nile along with; mandatory treatment services, naltrexone treatment, the level and adequacy of funding of drug and alcohol treatment services, as well as the adequacy of integrated services to treat conditions which are co-morbid with addiction, such as mental health conditions and chronic pain.The Committee will also investigate strategies and models for responding to drug and alcohol addiction in other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas.
Next scheduled hearings at Parliament House Sydney
The final report is due on 29 August. Click Here to view APSAD Submission
Australasian Drug and Alcohol Strategy Conference Review
by Ms Angela Matheson
The 6th Australasian Drug and Alcohol Strategy Conference (ADASC) was held at Luna Park in Sydney on 19-22 March. This conference is held every two to three years and is the peak police drug and alcohol forum in Australasia. This year’s event was co-hosted by NSW Police Force and the Australian Federal Police.
This year’s ADASC provided a valuable opportunity for law enforcement agencies to share practical experiences and to consider how Australia’s harm minimisation approach to alcohol and other drugs (both licit and illicit) shapes their role in responding to substance use. Researchers, industry bodies, government agencies, health practitioners and advocacy groups had the opportunity to gain new insights into the practical challenges that police face day to day in responding to drug and alcohol use, supply and harms in the community and at national and jurisdictional boundaries.
The conference commenced with a keynote address by the Hon. Neal Blewett AC, one of the architects of Australia’s first national drug strategy, who explored the origins of harm minimisation in Australia. The remainder of the event had a strong focus on current and emerging challenges. International and local speakers discussed challenges and innovations regarding illicit diversion of pharmaceutical drugs; the evolving market for emerging psychoactive substances; and law enforcement responses to transnational cybercrime. A number of speakers identified potential avenues to expand the police role in prevention, early intervention and diversion to reduce to drug and alcohol harms.
While many of the presentations explored practical implications of implementing the National Drug Strategy, Chief Constable Adrian Lee of Northumberland Police invited attendees to consider the place of ethics in police decision making, and the primacy of maintaining community consent for effective policing.
A panel discussion involving police Commissioners from across Australasia, which is a traditional feature of ADASC, formed the closing session. This year’s Commissioners panel was highly focused on the alcohol harms that police deal with daily, and the role that supply control measures have in reducing alcohol-related violence.
Drug and Alcohol Review
Look out for Drug and Alcohol Review’s very first virtual issue, which will be published online in May. This virtual issue will contain our most recent papers on the topic of pharmaceutical misuse, including recent data on growing fentanyl-related deaths in Australia, overdoses from the atypical antipsychotic agent quetiapine, prescription drug use among youth, pharmaceutical opioid use in South Asia, and a description of the prescription drug epidemic in the United States. Also included are popular papers from our 2012 special issue on pharmaceutical misuse.
If you are interested in reading some of the latest research findings, go to the Early view section of the Drug and Alcohol Review website. Here you can find comprehensive reviews on substance misuse assessment packages, original research on interventions for alcohol and drug problems in outpatient settings and new studies on predictors of study setting (primary care vs. hospital setting) and studies on the effectiveness of brief interventions among heavy alcohol users.
To find out more about these papers and other new content, sign up for Drug and Alcohol Review content alerts CLICK HERE.
Events / Conferences
College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) - 75th Annual Meeting
15 – 20 June in San Diego USA
This is just a reminder to members that APSAD has been included as part of the CPDD annual conference in San Diego in June. APSAD presenters will be presenting two symposia during the conference. The conference contains a balanced mix among state-of-the-art symposia, special lectures, workshops, oral presentations, and poster sessions, all designed to present the latest research findings related to drugs of abuse and drug dependence.
As part of the conference there will be a Satellite Meeting for the National Institute on Drug Abuse International Forum, co-sponsored by APSAD on Saturday 15 June: Building International Collaborative Research on Drug Abuse.
APSAD is sponsoring a travel award for an Indigenous Australian or New Zealander. We will be sending out a separate email next week with further details.
For further information visit www.cpdd.vcu.edu
DPMP Research Symposium - Thursday, 20 June - The National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace,Parkes, ACT 2600
The program will be most relevant for those interested or engaged in evidence informed policy development, including researchers, policy analysts/makers and service providers.
Cost: Nil: No registration fees and catering provided. RSVP’s are essential contact Colleen Faes colleen.faes@unsw.edu.au by Friday, 31 May. For more details go to: www.dpmp.unsw.edu.au
Walk on the Wildside VI: - Friday, 17 May at the Brisbane Convention Centre.
This one day symposium on the theme of Crosses Tracks: Substance use meets chronic disease brings together a range of practitioners and researchers in addiction health and medicine.
Organised by DANA - for further information CLICK HERE
-
New Adult AOD Screening and Assessment Instrument (VIC) Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre Victoria. further details CLICK HERE
-
The Opioid Treatment Accreditation Course (OTAC), previously known as the Pharmacotherapy Accreditation Course (PAC), can be completed either online or as a one day face-to face workshop followed by a half-day clinical placement with an approved pharmacotherapy prescriber. For further details CLICK HERE
Free Seminars
Turning Point’s public seminar series is pleased to announce the following presentation
May & June – BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL call 03 8413 8413 or email info@turningpoint.org.au
-
Wednesday 22nd May: Resilience based practice: integrating AOD and mental health work with young people. Andrew Bruun, Director: Research, Evaluation, Advocacy & Practice (REAP), YSAS
-
Wednesday 19 June: The links between socio-economic status, alcohol consumption and alcohol problems in Australia.Michael Livingston, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health.
Free Webinar by Brain and Mind Research Institute's Smoking Research Unit
-
Smoking Cessation Webinar: ‘What’s new in smoking cessation?’ Tuesday 30th April at 2pm (Sydney time) This Smoking Cessation webinar, presented by Brain and Mind Research Institute’s Smoking Research Unit. This month the Guest Speaker is Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, Vice President of the Australian Association of Smoking Cessation Professionals (AASCP), on the topic of: Conference report: Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Meeting 2013. For further details CLICK HERE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
